Levels & Trends in

Child Child Child Child

MalnutritionMalnutritionMalnutritionMalnutrition

UNICEF-WHO-The World Bank

Joint Child Malnutrition

Estimates

This report was prepared at the World Health Organization and UNICEF by Mercedes de Onis, David Brown, Monika

Blössner and Elaine Borghi.

Organizations and individuals involved in generating the joint estimates on child malnutrition

United Nations Children’s Fund

Tessa Wardlaw, Holly Newby, David Brown, Xiaodong Cai

World Health Organization

Mercedes de Onis, Elaine Borghi, Monika Blössner

The World Bank

Johan Mistiaen, Juan Feng, Masako Hiraga

Special thanks go to Dr Francesco Branca, Dr Werner Schultink, and Dr Tessa Wardlaw for their support in the

harmonization process and to Mrs Ann Sikanda, Mrs Florence Rusciano and Ms Stacy Young for their assistance in

preparing the report.

Recommended citation: United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, The World Bank. UNICEF-

WHO-World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. (UNICEF, New York; WHO, Geneva; The World Bank,

Washington, DC; 2012).

WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF-WHO-The World Bank joint child malnutrition estimates.

1.Child nutrition disorders. 2.Infant nutrition disorders. 3.Nutrition assessment. 4.Nutritional status. 5.Child

development. 6.Growth. 7.Body height. 8.Body weight. I. de Onis, Mercedes. II.Brown, David. III.Blössner, Monika.

IV.Borghi, Elaine. V.World Health Organization. VI.UNICEF. VII.World Bank.

ISBN 978 92 4 150451 5 (NLM classification: WS 130) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © The United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Bank 2012. All rights reserved.

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New York, New York 10017 USA).

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion

whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) or the World Bank (WB)

concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning he delimitation of its frontiers or

boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. Areas masked in

grey correspond to disputed territories and non-self-governing territories.

While every effort has been made to maximize the comparability of statistics across countries and over time, users are advised that

country data may differ in terms of data collection methods, population coverage and estimation methods used. Differences between

the estimates presented in this report and those in prior and forthcoming publications may arise because of differences in reporting

periods or in the availability of data during the production process of each publication and other evidence.

All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank to verify the information contained in this

publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The

responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the United Nations Children’s Fund,

World Health Organization or World Bank be liable for damages arising from its use. Because of the cession in July 2011 of the

Republic of South Sudan by the Republic of the Sudan, and its subsequent admission to the United Nations on 14 July 2011,

disaggregated data for the Sudan and South Sudan as separate States were not yet available for this report. Aggregated data

presented are for the Sudan precession.

Photo credits

Cover page: Photo taken in Niamey, Niger. © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0156/Nyani Quaryme, 2012.

Pg 2: Photo taken in Louboutigué village in the Sila Region, Chad. © UNICEF/NYHQ2011-2162/Patricia Esteve, 2011.

Pg 3: Photo taken in the Maldives. © WHO/Adelheid W. Onyango, 2005.

Pg 4: Photo taken in Sholapur District in Maharashtra State. © UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2395/Anita Khemka, 2005.

Pg 5: Photo taken in Kibati, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © WHO/Christopher Black, 2008.

Pg 8: Photo taken in Honiara, Solomon Islands. © WHO/Mercedes de Onis, 2010.